Patents by Inventor Brett A. Swanson

Brett A. Swanson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10917729
    Abstract: Disclosed embodiments include systems and methods of configuring, e.g., a hearing prosthesis comprising a beamforming microphone array having two or more microphones. Some embodiments include (i) storing a plurality of sets of beamformer coefficients in memory, where each set of beamformer coefficients corresponds to one of a plurality of zones on a recipient's head, and (ii) configuring the hearing prosthesis with a set of beamformer coefficients that corresponds to the zone on the recipient's head where the beamforming microphone array is located. Other embodiments include determining a set of beamformer coefficients based on magnitude and phase differences between microphones of the beamforming array, where the magnitude and phase differences are determined from a plurality of head related transfer function measurements for the microphones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: COCHLEAR LIMITED
    Inventors: Phyu Phyu Khing, Brett Swanson
  • Publication number: 20190387328
    Abstract: Disclosed embodiments include systems and methods of configuring, e.g., a hearing prosthesis comprising a beamforming microphone array having two or more microphones. Some embodiments include (i) storing a plurality of sets of beamformer coefficients in memory, where each set of beamformer coefficients corresponds to one of a plurality of zones on a recipient's head, and (ii) configuring the hearing prosthesis with a set of beamformer coefficients that corresponds to the zone on the recipient's head where the beamforming microphone array is located. Other embodiments include determining a set of beamformer coefficients based on magnitude and phase differences between microphones of the beamforming array, where the magnitude and phase differences are determined from a plurality of head related transfer function measurements for the microphones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: Phyu Phyu Khing, Brett Swanson
  • Patent number: 10397710
    Abstract: Disclosed embodiments include systems and methods of configuring, e.g., a hearing prosthesis comprising a beamforming microphone array having two or more microphones. Some embodiments include (i) storing a plurality of sets of beamformer coefficients in memory, where each set of beamformer coefficients corresponds to one of a plurality of zones on a recipient's head, and (ii) configuring the hearing prosthesis with a set of beamformer coefficients that corresponds to the zone on the recipient's head where the beamforming microphone array is located. Other embodiments include determining a set of beamformer coefficients based on magnitude and phase differences between microphones of the beamforming array, where the magnitude and phase differences are determined from a plurality of head related transfer function measurements for the microphones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Phyu Phyu Khing, Brett Swanson
  • Publication number: 20170180873
    Abstract: Disclosed embodiments include systems and methods of configuring, e.g., a hearing prosthesis comprising a beamforming microphone array having two or more microphones. Some embodiments include (i) storing a plurality of sets of beamformer coefficients in memory, where each set of beamformer coefficients corresponds to one of a plurality of zones on a recipient's head, and (ii) configuring the hearing prosthesis with a set of beamformer coefficients that corresponds to the zone on the recipient's head where the beamforming microphone array is located. Other embodiments include determining a set of beamformer coefficients based on magnitude and phase differences between microphones of the beamforming array, where the magnitude and phase differences are determined from a plurality of head related transfer function measurements for the microphones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: Phyu Phyu Khing, Brett Swanson
  • Patent number: 9216288
    Abstract: The present application discloses systems and methods for operating a stimulation prosthesis that contains a command module and a stimulator module that communicate by a data link. The stimulation prosthesis has at least two operating states: a configuration state and a stimulation state. In one embodiment, the stimulation prosthesis may use a communication protocol that is suitable for the current operating state. The risk of unintended transitions between the operating states due to data transmission errors is substantially eliminated. And in accordance with another embodiment, in addition to switching stimulation strategies, the stimulation prosthesis may also switch stimulation data formats to a format that is optimized for the new stimulation strategy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventor: Brett Swanson
  • Patent number: 9084892
    Abstract: The sound processor and method uses a model of basilar membrane motion to select stimuli, based upon the predicted motion which the acoustic signal presented would produce in an acoustically excited normally hearing cochlea. The filter; used, in contrast to single channel per electrode approaches, cover multiple channels and overlap with each other. Consequently the stimuli presented produce a neural excitation pattern which approximates the spatio-temporal travelling wave observed on the basilar membrane in an acoustically excited normally hearing cochlea. Preferably, the predicted electrode stimuli are based upon the instantaneous predicted amplitude of the electrode location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Peter J. Blamey, Brett A. Swanson, Hugh McDermott, James F. Patrick, Graeme M. Clark
  • Publication number: 20150010183
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for selecting one or more spectral components to include in a stimulation signal are disclosed. An example sound processor is configured to generate a stimulation signal based on one or more spectral components having an energy that is greater than or equal to one or more threshold energies. Each of the one or more spectral components represents an energy of a sample of an audio signal at one of M frequency channels, where M is a positive integer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventors: Bastiaan van Dijk, Brett Swanson
  • Publication number: 20130296969
    Abstract: The present application discloses systems and methods for performing a weighting operation in a stimulation module of a stimulation prosthesis. Accordingly, a command module transmits one data word (i.e., the channel and amplitude value) to the stimulation module. The stimulation module then determines the individual electrodes and magnitudes of electrical signals to apply thereto so as to achieve appropriate stimulation on the channel. In accordance with one embodiment, a stimulation module includes a receiver that is configured for receiving stimulation data transmitted by the command module, the stimulation data defining a channel and an amplitude, a weighting unit configured for calculating, based on the channel and amplitude value, a set of magnitudes, and an arrangement of current sources-and-switches configured for applying current to the array of electrodes based on the calculated set of magnitudes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: Cochlear Limited
    Inventor: Brett Swanson
  • Publication number: 20130165992
    Abstract: The present application discloses systems and methods for operating a stimulation prosthesis that contains a command module and a stimulator module that communicate by a data link. The stimulation prosthesis has at least two operating states: a configuration state and a stimulation state. In one embodiment, the stimulation prosthesis may use a communication protocol that is suitable for the current operating state. The risk of unintended transitions between the operating states due to data transmission errors is substantially eliminated. And in accordance with another embodiment, in addition to switching stimulation strategies, the stimulation prosthesis may also switch stimulation data formats to a format that is optimized for the new stimulation strategy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: COCHLEAR LIMITED
    Inventor: Brett Swanson
  • Patent number: 8260429
    Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a cochlear implant constructed and arranged to successively generate stimulation signals each comprising at least one stimulus pulse such that said successive stimulation signals incrementally build a neural excitation pattern that accurately reflects a received sound. In one embodiment, each said successive stimulation signal is generated based on the cumulative effect of all previous stimulus pulses, thereby compensating for finite spatial spreading of individual stimulus pulses as well as for the temporal integration of the neural excitation pattern along the neural pathways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignees: The University of Melbourne, Bionic Ear Institute, Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Peter J. Blamey, Bonar Dickson, Brett A. Swanson
  • Patent number: 8135152
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting an envelope of an audio signal, and a method and apparatus for enhancing the pitch cue of an audio signal perceived by a cochlear implant patient where the audio signal is processed and input to an implant device of the recipient. The methods and apparatuses use techniques such as filtering, rectifying, detecting peak values, sampling, resetting, comparing and multiplying various signals to detect the envelope or enhance the pitch cue of the audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignees: Cochlear Limited, The University of Melbourne
    Inventors: Brett A. Swanson, Peter J. Blamey, Hugh J. McDermott, James F. Patrick
  • Publication number: 20090018615
    Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a cochlear implant constructed and arranged to successively generate stimulation signals each comprising at least one stimulus pulse such that said successive stimulation signals incrementally build a neural excitation pattern that accurately reflects a received sound. In one embodiment, each said successive stimulation signal is generated based on the cumulative effect of all previous stimulus pulses, thereby compensating for finite spatial spreading of individual stimulus pulses as well as for the temporal integration of the neural excitation pattern along the neural pathways.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Applicant: COCHLEAR LIMITED
    Inventors: Peter J. Blamey, Bonar Dickson, Brett A. Swanson
  • Patent number: 7321797
    Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a cochlear implant constructed and arranged to successively generate stimulation signals each comprising at least one stimulus pulse such that said successive stimulation signals incrementally build a neural excitation pattern that accurately reflects a received sound. In one embodiment, each said successive stimulation signal is generated based on the cumulative effect of all previous stimulus pulses, thereby compensating for finite spatial spreading of individual stimulus pulses as well as for the temporal integration of the neural excitation pattern along the neural pathways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Peter J. Blamey, Bonar Dickson, Brett A. Swanson
  • Publication number: 20060235486
    Abstract: The sound processor and method uses a model of basilar membrane motion to select stimuli, based upon the predicted motion which the acoustic signal presented would produce in an acoustically excited normally hearing cochlea. The filter; used, in contrast to single channel per electrode approaches, cover multiple channels and overlap with each other. Consequently the stimuli presented produce a neural excitation pattern which approximates the spatio-temporal travelling wave observed on the basilar membrane in an acoustically excited normally hearing cochlea. Preferably, the predicted electrode stimuli are based upon the instantaneous predicted amplitude of the electrode location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Publication date: October 19, 2006
    Applicant: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Peter Blamey, Brett Swanson, Hugh McDermott, James Patrick, Graeme Clark
  • Publication number: 20060227986
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting an envelope of an audio signal, and a method and apparatus for enhancing the pitch cue of an audio signal perceived by a cochlear implant patient where the audio signal is processed and input to an implant device of the recipient. The methods and apparatuses use techniques such as filtering, rectifying, detecting peak values, sampling, resetting, comparing and multiplying various signals to detect the envelope or enhance the pitch cue of the audio signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2003
    Publication date: October 12, 2006
    Inventors: Brett Swanson, Peter Blamey, Hugh McDermott, James Patrick
  • Publication number: 20060195160
    Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a cochlear implant constructed and arranged to successively generate stimulation signals each comprising at least one stimulus pulse such that said successive stimulation signals incrementally build a neural excitation pattern that accurately reflects a received sound. In one embodiment, each said successive stimulation signal is generated based on the cumulative effect of all previous stimulus pulses, thereby compensating for finite spatial spreading of individual stimulus pulses as well as for the temporal integration of the neural excitation pattern along the neural pathways.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2005
    Publication date: August 31, 2006
    Inventors: Peter Blamey, Bonar Dickson, Brett Swanson
  • Patent number: RE48039
    Abstract: The present application discloses systems and methods for operating a stimulation prosthesis that contains a command module and a stimulator module that communicate by a data link. The stimulation prosthesis has at least two operating states: a configuration state and a stimulation state. In one embodiment, the stimulation prosthesis may use a communication protocol that is suitable for the current operating state. The risk of unintended transitions between the operating states due to data transmission errors is substantially eliminated. And in accordance with another embodiment, in addition to switching stimulation strategies, the stimulation prosthesis may also switch stimulation data formats to a format that is optimized for the new stimulation strategy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventor: Brett Swanson